Golf glove closure attachment and manufacturing method

ABSTRACT

An improved manufacturing method for golf gloves is presented that includes an improved process for manufacturing plastic latch connectors. The improved method uses less material and delays attachment of the golf glove closing latch until the last step of the process, improving flexibility for custom logo glove production.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to golf glove manufacturing and the method of attaching the hook and loop closure means to the glove.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This novel manufacturing means is intended to allow the attachment of the hook and loop closure device, or “latch”, after the closure device has been imprinted with a custom logo. Conventional golf glove manufacturing attaches the latch at a relatively early stage of manufacture, and this limits the ability of the manufacturer to delay the attachment of custom-logo-bearing latches until the last possible moment.

There are other approaches to this problem. For example, in United States Patent Application US2002/0174478 by Litke, a method of forming a thermoplastic pad, printing a custom logo on the pad, and then adhering the thermoplastic pad to the glove on the back of the latch is taught. Other patents, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,773 to Lowinger, use similar approaches to place logos on gloves. However, none of them delay attachment of the logo-bearing latch until the last minute, one of the main features of this invention.

This patent also presents a new method of manufacturing an alternative attachment method, involving a process similar to the attachment means used in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,350 to Litke. That patent teaches a method of late attachment of logo-bearing latches by using injection-molded plastic pieces. The present method uses a very low cost plastic sheet with cutting and thermaforming over a simple metal boss. The need in the Litke patent for a liner underneath their attachment means to improve wearer comfort is eliminated because of the softness of the plastic used in the present invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide an attachment means for a golf-glove latch system that can be attached at the last minute during manufacturing.

It is a further goal of this invention that with this invention, gloves without latches can be stored after manufacture and custom logo latches be attached as late as just before delivery.

It is a further goal of this invention that an alternate method of attaching the latch be available to manufacturers that is an improvement over current injection molded latch attachment means.

It is a further goal of this invention to reduce manufacturing cost for golf gloves to the minimum by eliminating the need for expensive sewing steps to attach latches to gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an improved method of golf glove manufacturing that combines ease of manufacture with the flexibility to attach logo-bearing golf glove closure latches at the last minute. There are two methods of latch attachment presented, one based on a quick sewing step and the other using a pre-formed plastic connector.

Golf gloves are an advertising item and can be made with custom logos on them, bearing for example the trademarked logos of the major golf equipment manufacturers. Delaying the attachment of the logo-bearing latches until the last practicable moment permits the gloves without latches to be sewn separately from the logo-bearing latches, stored, and then brought together with the appropriate logo-bearing latch just before delivery.

The savings of time and money are obvious. It is possible to create exactly the right number of logo-bearing golf gloves just before they are delivered. There is no worry about having too many of one particular logo on hand or of spoilage when a particular logo-ed golf glove is no longer desired. Inventory problems are minimized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of this invention will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glove with an open latch

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a glove with a closed latch

FIG. 3 is a view of the upper surface of the latch upper part

FIG. 4 is a view of the bottom surface of the latch upper part

FIG. 5 is a view of the bottom surface of the latch bottom part

FIG. 6 is a view of the upper surface of the latch bottom part

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment attachment means

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of the alternative embodiment manufacturing process

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the invention can be seen best in FIG. 1, and it consists of a latch upper part 101, a latch bottom part 102, a base 103, and a latch bottom part logo shield 104. The golf glove 100 has a palm part and a back part 105, which back part has a closure slit 106. The invention is a mechanism for holding the two sides 107,108 of the closure slit 106 together by means of the hooks 109 and loops 110 of the latch upper 101 and bottom 102 parts being brought into contact with each other.

In FIG. 2, the latch 101 is closed and the sides 107,108 of the closure slit 108 are touching. There is an upper part logo shield 111 on the upper surface 112 of the latch upper part 101 which can bear a printed or embossed logo.

In the preferred embodiment, the process of assembling a golf glove with this closure system consists of manufacturing and sewing the golf glove 100 and latch bottom part 102 together such that the latch bottom part is placed as seen in FIG. 1. The optional latch bottom part logo shield 104 may be present or not. If present, there will be a reduced number of hooks in the hook pad comprising the latch bottom part upper surface 120.

The separately manufactured latch upper part 101, with optional latch upper part logo shield 111, is then attached by sewing a few stitches to one end of the latch upper part 101 to connect it to the base 103, which makes a strong connection to one side of the closure slit 108. The golf glove can now be closed by the user by stretching the latch upper part 101 across the closure slit 108 and bringing the latch upper part lower surface 110 into contact with the latch bottom part upper surface 120.

In FIG. 7, the alternate embodiment of the present invention uses a plastic hook and slot system to attach the latch upper part 101 to one side of the closure slit 108. The side of the closure slit 108 possess a plastic receiver plate 130 fixedly connected to the side of the closure slit 108 with two receiver slots 131. The latch upper part 101 now possess a set of two plastic hooks 132 which can be inserted into the corresponding receiver slots.

At manufacturing time, the separately manufactured latch upper part 101, with or without an upper part logo shield 111, can be attached by inserting the plastic hooks 132 into the receiver slots 131. As in FIG. 8, the receiver slots 131 and receiver base 130 can be easily manufactured by means of a single sheet of malleable plastic 133 being impressed over a metal die boss 134 to force the receiver slot 131 up and out of the plastic sheet 133. Unlike other inventions in this field, this method of making the receiver slots 131 and receiver base 130 out of soft, malleable plastic results in a low-cost attachment means that does not require a soft plastic liner for the glove 100 to protect the user's hand.

While the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment, variation on this design and equivalent designs may be resorted to in the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. 

1-4. (canceled)
 5. What is claimed is a golf glove closure manufacturing method, The method comprised of the steps of manufacturing a golf glove, the golf glove comprised of a palm part, a back part, a base, and a latch lower part, the golf glove back part possessing a closure slit with a left side and a right side, the two sides of the closure slit being capable of being stretched across the back of a golfers hand when the golfer's hand is inserted into the golf glove, the base positioned alongside the edge of the left side of the closure slit during manufacture, the latch lower part sewn or glued onto the back part of the golf glove, positioned next to the golf glove closure slit right side, the upper surface of the latch lower part optionally possessing a logo shield, the logo shield smaller in area than the latch lower part upper surface, the latch lower part upper surface possessing loops that are a part of a hook-and-loop connection mechanism everywhere that the optional logo shield is not present, manufacturing a golf glove latch upper part, the upper surface of the latch upper part smooth and optionally possessing a logo shield, the lower surface of the latch upper part possessing hooks that are part of a hook-and-loop connection mechanism, delaying bringing the golf glove and the golf glove latch upper part together until an order for golf gloves arrives with a selection of a logo shield design, attaching the golf glove latch upper part with the selected logo shield to the golf glove base with a latch attachment means when said order is received.
 6. The invention of claim 5 where the base is a roll of fabric that is as long as the edge of the latch upper part that is to be connected to the base,and the latch attachment means is sewing the latch upper part to the base.
 7. The invention of claim 5 where the base is a plastic sheet possessing a plurality of raised slots, the latch upper part lower surface possesses the same number of plastic attachment hooks as there are raised slots on the base, and the attachment means is a process of inserting the plastic hooks on the latch upper part into the raised slots on the base such that the slots and hooks form a fixed attachment. 